Are Apple AirPods Pro a Better Headphone? Unbox and First Thoughts

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I was never a fan of the Apple ear buds. They never fit my ears right. Every 20 minutes, I had to remove to give my ear canal a break.

So when the new Airpods Pro came out with rubber tip, I was hoping for a pair of ear buds that would not stretch my ears.

So far, I’m not disappointed.

Unboxing the Airpods Pro

The initial unboxing was straightforward. Inside, you receive the AirPods in a charging case – which can be charged with included cable, or through a compatible qi charging base.

Keep in mind, no wireless charger is included. You can get one here.

Since the rubber tips can interchange with smaller and larger ones, Apple includes 2 extra pair in the case. You can text or the best pair in the ear tip finder, in settings.

Pairing with an iPhone, iPad, more

To begin with, you must have a iOS 10 compatible device or better to connect. I tried to connect my iPod (iOS9), and although Apple saw the headphones, it was unable to connect.

In most cases, you open up the charging case next to the phone or iPad, and it can detect the Airpods. If not, go into Bluetooth settings, and pair.

On the back of the case is a button that, if held down for a few seconds, will pair new devices.

I also connected to my Windows machine, which I include results in the video.

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Airpods Pro Settings

Once you pair the device, you can assist settings to your preference. This can included how the headphones nose cancel, which bud microphone to use, and even what the button press does.

Put the ear buds in, then run the tip test. The Airpods will determine if you need the larger, or smaller rubber tips by listening to noise leakage In the ear.

You can get false-positive results if the pod is not fully seated in your ear.

Cons of Airpods Pro

The biggest issue is using the microphone for recording audio and video. Simply, Apple won’t do it. You’ll have to revert to the old corded headphones, or another plugin microphone system if you need an external microphone.

Otherwise

Otherwise, the first 24 hours of wearing, I am relatively pleased in it’s use. I could wear it for hours without having to rub my ears. I could even wear it while sleeping, and not have the Airpods drive into my head.

Airpods Pro Specs

With dual beaming microphones, inward facing microphone, force sensor, and motion sensor, these headphones can detect insertion into an ear, along with fit and audio leakage.

Over 4 hours of listening time on one charge, with up to 24 hours of listening with case re-charging.

Force sensor gives you options to pause, skip, and do other functions. This includes turning on Transparent mode – allowing you to turn off noise cancelling so you can hear what’s around you.

Get AirPods Pro

For $249, you can get your pair at Apple, over at Best Buy, or Amazon. You also get 1 year of Apple Care, and purchase a second. This does not cover loss of AirPods.